Description

"Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
'Onward!' the sailors cry;
Carry the lad who's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye."

Sung throughout the world, the Skye Boat Song evocatively brings alive the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie's famous journey from the Outer Hebrides to Skye, off Scotland's west coast, after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden.

This stunning picture book, inspired by the lyrics of the traditional Scottish folksong, illustrates the true story of one of Scotland's most famous heroes and introduces children to this dramatic period of Scottish history.

The beautiful landscapes and seascapes of Scotland's west coast are captured by Alfredo Belli's stunning illustrations.

Reviews

'A simply stunning picture book inspired by the lyrics of the traditional Scottish folksong is especially recommended for children ages 5 to 8 and is unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school and community library picture book collections for young readers.'
-- Midwest Book Review, March 2017

'The images are sweeping and yet personal, and the loyalty of the prince's followers is evident in their actions and demeanor. '
-- Goodreads

'There is no visible blood or explicit violence in Belli’s depictions of the battle and its aftermath, but in the clean-lined watercolor scenes he fashions evocatively rough seas and stormy skies until landfall brings a final calm. The British soldiers’ red coats and the bright tartans in which the handsome, downcast prince and other male Scots in the all-white cast are outfitted shine against the muted backgrounds. A rendition more poignant than patriotic with, at least in the rhymed portions, the cadence of a lullaby.'
-- Kirkus

Author

Alfredo Belli lives and works in Rome. He illustrates children's books and school textbooks on behalf of different publishers, spanning age ranges from preschool through teen. He also contributes to various advertising agencies, graphic and web design studios as an illustrator and visualizer. An all-round artist, he uses a wide-range of styles and techniques, utilizing pencils, inks, watercolours, acrylic paints, oil pastels, digital and mixed media...not necessarily all together.

Links

Discover more of our Scottish children's books on the Discover Kelpies website, where you can search the full Kelpies range, from board books to young teen novels, by age, genre, subject and location.